John Quincy Adams to John Adams

I suppose you have receiv'd before now my letter from Copenhagen dated Feby. 20th.
in which I wrote you that I expected to come from thence to Kiel by water; and that
I only waited for a wind: but I have been obliged after all to come by Land, for,
after waiting better than a fort night expecting every day to sail, the harbour of
Copenhagen froze up, (a thing which happens but very seldom) and there was no appearance
of being able to get away by water in less than three weeks or a month. I left Copenhagen
on Wednesday the 5th. of this month and arrived here last evening at about 5. o'clock.
I expect to stay here some days, so that I shall certainly be in Holland the latter
end of this month,2 where I shall wait for your orders, what to do.

1. JQA's “2”s and “4”s are easily confused, causing JA, in his docketing of this letter and in his letter to AA, 28 March, below, to read “March 14.” The same error appears in JQA, Diary, 1:174, note 1, under “Martius. 1783.” JQA's statement in his Diary entry at that { 105 } point that he reached Hamburg on 10 March, and his statement in the present letter
that he had arrived “last evening,” point to 12 March as the correct date.

2. JQA did not leave Hamburg until 5 April; he reached Amsterdam on 16 April, and The Hague
on 21 April (same, 1:174).

Docno: ADMS-04-05-02-0060

Author: Shaw, Elizabeth Smith

Author: Peabody, Elizabeth Smith Shaw

Recipient: Adams, Abigail

Recipient: Cranch, Mary Smith

Date: 1783-03-15

Elizabeth Smith Shaw to Abigail Adams and Mary Smith Cranch

If I had received your Letter2 an hour sooner, I could have sent you an answer the same day, viz. Thursday, by Mr.
Badcock3 who dined here, and would conveyed it as far as Milton Bridge himself. But having
lost this Opportunity, I must send by the Post. But since you have signified your
Request to Mr. Shaw only mediately, he thinks himself entitled to make use of the
same Medium in giving an answer. And I am authorised to say, that he complies, most
chearfully comply's with the Request, and flatters himself he shall be able to discharge
the office of Preceptor to my dear Nephews,4 (provided they will be as assiduous to be taught, as he will be to teach them) so
as to give Satisfaction, not only to them, but to their Parents.

If you must put your Children from you, I think I may venture to say, they may have
advantages here, which they could not have but in few Families. Two things I particularly
disliked in several Families who boarded Scholars. One is giving them scanty meals,
and too poor victuals—the other is of vastly more importance, as it affects their
minds, and their manners. It is their being sent into the Kitchen to herd among themselves
or much worse company. By this ruinous method, their whole subsequent Lives have a
Tinture of awkardness, which the politeness of a Court could not wholly erradicate.
By this means they imbibe low, and shocking Ideas of wit—the loud unmeaning Laugh—and
every species of indelicacy. By this they conceive a low opinion of themselves, feel
a consciousness of wrong, which depresses their Spirits, and makes them actually dread
going into company that is really good and polite, company that would raise their
thoughts, refine their manners, and embelish life with all those pleasing assiduities,
which render both Sexes so agreeable to each other.

If your Children should live with us, you my dear Brother,5 and Sisters must permit us, to be the sole Arbiters of their company, and playmates.
You may rely upon it, we shall endeavour to discharge our { 106 } duty towards them, with that watchfulness, and tenderness, which parental affection
would dictate.

And now my Sisters we will talk about the Terms, if you please. Two Dollars pr week
is the price for each of them, including their teaching. I do not know but you may
think it too much but the price of necessary Articles are this spring so high, and
have been so through the past winter, and alas! are still like to be so I fear, as
makes it very expensive living. The uplifted sword, and not the olive-Branch is presented
to our view—at least the new papers indicate War, War instead of the blessings of
Peace, that we had been solacing ourselves with.6 Though no politician, I confess, I am now disappointed.

If Your Children should come, you mentioned advancing some money, it was very kind,
it was like my Relations—but this offer must be refused, if it would be agreeable
to pay quarterly, I hope we shall be able to supply them with every-thing nesecssary.
But as I have omited purchasing anything for some time in hopes of peace, and am almost
out of many things which are not to be purchased here, viz. good Tea, Chokalate or
Shells,7 if you or Sister Adams have any quantity, or can purchase any quantity it may be
not be disadvantagous to either, for us to take many necessaries in this way—a pound
or 2 of poland Starch, for I could not bear to do up their linnen with our Cohos Flour8—will be necessary. If you should send of those articles, let an account be kept by
each Sister—and charged to us. We have a sufficent supply for the present of Beef,
pork, Corn, and Rye, Butter, milk &c. So that if they should come without any of the
above articles, they would not suffer I hope. They shall have a good Chamber, good
bed, and beding. I suppose they can all lodge together for the present, or till we
can provide another bed. If they come I will speak to Mr. Marsh9 to make some sort of a Desk, or chest with draws. I wish I could step into the Vendue
at Boston and procure something that would answer. Sister Adams has had one or 2 looking
Glasses broke, if she would give me a peice big enough for Susa to see to do up her
hair by, I will take my little Glass and put in the childrens Chamber for I suppose
they will want one, to see their smiling, good natured faces in. I thank you and my
Cousins10 for their kind offer of doing work for me, and for what they have done already, but
unless it be sticking11 and such fine work, I am not under any present necessity, but I should be most heartily
glad to have either of my Cousins come and spend some part of the summer with me.
I have a very good Girl lives with me, and no babies in my arms.12

4. Up to 1783 AA employed tutors at home for her boys, but shortly after she and/or Mary Cranch received
this letter, AA put CA and TBA under the care of their uncle Rev. John Shaw (see AA to JA, 7 April, below). At the same time, Richard and Mary Cranch put their son William at the Shaws.
And when JQA returned from Europe, he also studied with Rev. Shaw before entering Harvard.

Before Elizabeth's marriage in 1777, AA did not have much use for John Shaw, and as late as 1778 she expressed reservations
about him (vols. 1:176, and note 1; 2:173; 3:78, and note 10). Thus AA's willingness to entrust her boys' schooling to Shaw may have marked a change in
her views. Later passages in this letter also suggest the possibility that AA was concerned that her sister was in financial need, and that she and Mary Cranch
were trying to help out.

6. The news from Europe in the Boston press for February pointed toward peace, and culminated
in the publication in the Evening Post on the 22d, of George III's 5 Dec. 1782 speech to Parliament, announcing the preliminary
peace between Great Britain and the United States. Reports in early March, however,
centered on the negotiations between Britain, France, and Spain, which were at a difficult
stage, and in the 13 March issue of the Independent Chronicle, under “London, Jan. 7,” appeared the notice: “Jan. 7. We are assured that fresh
orders have been sent to all the different offices since Friday, to accelerate every
preparation for war, as if no negotiation was on the carpet.” In the same issue, under
“Boston, March 13,” was the statement: “No accounts received since our last are able
to determine the important matter of peace or war.—Tho' our London papers are down
to the 10th of January they afford us nothing decisive; . . .” In the next few issues,
Bostonians learned that peace had finally prevailed.

8. That is, Haverhill flour. “Cohos” was an Indian term for the Haverhill region and
its rivers (Dict. of Americanisms). Poland starch was probably made from Polish wheat, a highgrade European variety.